Gardaí target gun owners after attack on minister's house

SHOTGUN owners in three counties are likely to be visited by gardaí investigating an attack on Justice Minister Michael McDowell's holiday home.

Ballistic tests will be carried out in order to match a suspected weapon to a cartridge found at the scene of the shooting. It is more difficult than matching a bullet to a rifle, but it is possible, according to gardaí.

A shot smashed the windows of the €500,000 holiday home at Rooskey in Co Roscommon, close to the borders of Leitrim and Longford. Gardaí are likely to visit the homes of licence holders in parts of those three counties.

The shooting took place some time over the weekend and no one was in the house. While gardaí are taking it seriously - the minister was briefed and senior members met yesterday to discuss the incident - the shooting is not likely to have been carried out by anyone linked to the IRA, as suggested in reports.

One round was fired and the cartridge was left at the scene. Builders working on the house discovered the damage and the shotgun pellets when they arrived on Monday morning.

However, the house is believed to have been targeted and not struck by mistake as the shot was fired from close range by a person who would have had to scale a security fence. Security arrangements for the minister are likely to be reviewed in the wake of the attack. He already has 24-hour garda security, including a detail outside his home in Ranelagh in south Dublin.

The construction of the house has attracted some controversy and was the subject of High Court action after Roscommon County Council refused to allow Mr McDowell and his wife, Niamh Brennan, more time to complete the building. The couple were given permission by the court.

The attack has been condemned by the Mayor of Roscommon, who added that Mr McDowell is "very welcome" to build a house in the county.

Fine Gael's Sean Beirne said he was "disappointed and annoyed the county of Roscommon would be associated with anything like that", despite the council's high-profile spat with Mr McDowell over planning.